Lee was appointed to the Board of Directors in 2011. McCrory made him vice chair last year. That role will now be filled by Robert Sar.

The governor’s office says Lee and Sar will assume their new titles at the board’s April meeting. That’s when they will also welcome newly appointed executive director Paul Cozza.

Lee is a Republican running for the 9th District seat in the Senate. It’s a seat currently held by Thom Goolsby, who announced he will not run for reelection. Goolsby defeated Lee in the Republican primary for the Senate seat in 2010. Lee lost in the general election to then incumbent Democrat Julia Boseman in 2008.